They would be assuming duties next month onwards.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was on the lookout for two new selectors to replace Subroto Banerjee and S Sharath, who were the existing ones. It has come to knowledge that RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha are appointed as the new selectors. The news was made official after the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held by the cricket board.
The two former India cricketers were in serious contention for the posts after BCCI invited applications a few weeks ago. Having said that, former speedster Praveen Kumar was also one of the candidates to have applied for the role. Moreover, former Uttar Pradesh pacer Ashish Zaidi and Himachal Pradesh player Shakti Singh were the others in contention from the Central Zone.
RP Singh and Ojha are expected to take charge from next month onwards, which is the beginning of the new cycle for the committee. Both the players have made a significant contribution to Indian cricket in their tenure, and are expected to have the nation’s best interests at heart. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) is known to have communicated the names of the two former cricketers to the BCCI.
Being a part of the Indian Men’s Senior selection committee is known to be one of the most significant and impactful role that the setup entails. In simple words for RP Singh and Ojha, it would put them on a pedestal to have the authority to play a role in the selection of the Senior Men’s team for bilaterals, and ICC events. Along with others, they would also be in charge of formulating long-term plans.’
The BCCI uses a Zonal strategy to pick and choose players for the senior team. East Zone, North Zone, West Zone, South Zone and the Central Zone are the five zones under which there are multiple state teams allocated. Additionally, each of the five selectors is placed as the head of one of the above mentioned zones. Ojha will be taking up the responsibilities for the South Zone. To add to that, RP Singh would be assuming duties for the Central Zone.
Having said that, even though the selectors are assigned specific zones, they are expected to work without any regional bias. One of the most important guidelines is to select players purely on the basis of merit and performances. Shiv Sundar Das, who was currently the selector for the East Zone, has been moved to the North Zone.
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The BCCI has listed down some guidelines that the applicants must fulfil to become a part of the selection committee. The applicants must have featured in a minimum of seven Test matches for the country. Additionally, they should have played a minimum of 30 First-class matches, or a combination of minimum 10 ODIs and 20 First-class fixtures.
Moreover, the applicants must have retired from all forms of international cricket for a period of at least five years before application. To add to that, the applicant must not have completed more than five years cumulatively as a national selector, be it past or present. The tenure of these posts is not fixed, but might range from two-four years.
Ojha has featured in 24 Test matches for India, picking 113 wickets with best figures of 6/47. The left-arm spinner has bagged seven five-wicket hauls and also holds a solitary 10-wicket haul to his name. Ojha was most successful when he bowled as the first-change bowler, with 43 wickets at the spot. He was known for a simple bowling action and was good with his control.
On the other hand, RP Singh played 14 Tests for India and picked 40 wickets. Though he bagged just one five-wicket haul, his economy was under four, which was impressive. RP Singh was a part of the T20 World Cup winning side in 2007 under MS Dhoni. He has also featured in 58 ODIs and 10 matches in the shortest format.
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